The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for increasing heat transfer to and from a body (more specifically, to and from the body of a person). Such increased heat transfer has a use for increasing the burning of calories by a person, and other treatments of a person where transferring heat to (or removing heat from) the body is appropriate.
More particularly, the present invention is directed to a method of, and apparatus for, increased burning of calories, which can cause loss of fat and resulting weight loss in a person. Thus, the present invention can be utilized for losing weight.
In addition, the present invention can also be utilized for treating a body so as to speedily transfer heat to (or remove heat from) a body, for example, for treating hypothermia or hyperthermia.
It has been proposed to increase the burning of calories in a body, so as to help a person lose fat independent of any exercise. See Pearson, et al., The Life Extension Weight Loss Program (pub. by Doubleday & Co. 1986), particularly pages 144-164 thereof ("Thermogenesis: The Cool Way to Lose Fat"), which pages 144-164 are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety, and which pages 144-164 disclose that increased burning of calories in a body, e.g., by transferring heat out of the body (e.g., cold-induced thermogenesis) causes loss of fat, which can result in weight loss. The pages of this publication incorporated herein generally disclose the technique of thermogenesis (i.e., generation of heat) and describe how such technique can be used for causing loss of fat in a person's body.
U.S. application Ser. No. 922,713, filed Oct. 24, 1986, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety, discloses that cold-induced thermogenesis can be utilized to increase burning of calories, with a resultant loss of fat and corresponding weight loss, and that such cold-induced thermogenesis can be achieved not only by cooling the environment so as to cool a person's body totally, but also by cooling part of the anatomy of a person. In particular, application Ser. No. 922,713 discloses that by applying a cooling medium to part of the human anatomy, thermogenesis can be induced, so as to increase the burning of calories, and to cause loss of fat and thereby cause weight loss. This patent application discloses that such fat is lost generally from the body, and not only at the location at which the cooling medium is applied.
This patent application Ser. No. 922,713 discloses that various known devices can be utilized for application of a cooling medium to part of an anatomy; and that known, commercial devices can be used in a new way so as to increase burning of calories, with a resulting weight loss.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 922,713 further discloses that the commercial devices, utilized for increasing the burning of calories, can be used in conjunction with other weight loss techniques, such as exercising, to induce even further weight loss and provide other benefits, such as cardiovascular conditioning.
As for various known devices for application of a cooling medium to part of a person's anatomy, U.S. Pat. No. 4,326,533 to Henderson discloses body cooling devices having at least one pocket for receiving and storing a container of frozen liquid or semi-liquid material. The disclosed cooling device is in the form of an elasticized or manually adjustable band of soft textile material, which has at least one compartment with at least one opening into which individual bags or containers of frozen liquid or semi-liquid material are placed for use and subsequently removed, when melted, for refreezing and reuse, the device being particularly suited to be worn around the head or wrists to thereby reduce body heat and absorb perspiration of those engaged in physical effort (such as sport participants and workers). This patent discloses that this device is also suited for cooling various parts of the body for medical purposes.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,288,745 to Sammis discloses a device and method for assisting a person to keep comfortable in warm or hot weather, assisting the body to dissipate excess heat. The disclosed device includes a fabric bag or envelope to which is suitably fastened an elastic arm band, with a sponge rubber container or sack removably mounted in the bag, the sack being slit along a portion of its periphery which opens into a chamber or compartment inside of the sack, and with a cake or cube of a suitable refrigerant, such as dry ice, being provided in the chamber or compartment.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,208,855 to Riley discloses a temperature reducing material, wherein a suitable refrigerant is dispersed throughout a suitable inert porous carrier prior to utilization for temperature reducing purposes, the intimate combination of refrigerant and carrier providing the temperature reducing material. In a specific embodiment, this patent discloses using a combination of a frozen substance, such as ice, with a natural or cellulosic sponge material, the substance being frozen from a controlled quantity of the same dispersed throughout the porous body of the sponge.
While each of the foregoing patents disclose various apparatus for application of a cooling medium to part of the anatomy, none of these patents disclose that the application of the cooling medium can be utilized to induce thermogenesis, and, in particular, none of these patents disclose application of the cooling medium to increase burning of calories so as to cause loss of fat. Furthermore, none of these patents disclose increased burning of calories, for purposes of losing weight, through use of the disclosed devices.
Moreover, in using the devices disclosed in these three patents, particularly for purposes of increasing the burning of calories, the following problem arises. When applying the disclosed devices, whereby the temperature at that specific portion of the body is lowered, the body tries to limit heat loss by constricting the flow of blood to the outer layers of the body at such point. Accordingly, the amount of heat transferred from the body, and the rate of transfer of the heat, is reduced. Thus, while placing the body in a cooler environment will result in increased calorie consumption to some extent, the amount of increased calorie consumption is reduced, and the amount of time necessary for such increased calorie consumption unduly increases, due to the constricting of the flow of blood to the cooled locations. To practically lose a large amount of fat via this method a person must remain in what may be an uncomfortable setting for an extended period of time.
Moreover, it has been shown that a main difference between overweight persons, and persons of normal weight, is that the overweight person is less efficient at losing heat to the environment. Also, it has been shown that shutting down the capillaries in the outer areas of the body on a regular basis (which would occur upon utilizing a localized, or even general, cooling of the body on a regular basis) can lead to long-term thermogenesis inefficiency. Thus, for using thermogenesis as a technique for causing fat loss (e.g., in a dieting program), it is desired to increase the transfer of heat from the body, and to more efficiently transfer such heat (for example, at a higher rate of transfer).
Generally, in treatment of persons wherein transfer of heat to and from a person's body is used (for example, in treatment of persons suffering from hypothermia or hyperthermia), it also becomes important to transfer heat to (or remove heat from) a person's body more efficiently, in greater amounts and at a faster rate.
In Clinical Electrotherapy (ed. by Nelson & Currier and pub. by Appleton & Lang 1987), pages 156-8, it is disclosed that long- and short-term electrical stimulation of muscle results in an increased vascular supply, with a concomitant increase in the number of capillaries within the muscle. Thus, this article discloses that over 4-, 14- and 28-day periods of intermittent electrical stimulation (10-Hz frequency), it has been reported that there is a 20-, 50- and 100-percent increase in capillary density to the stimulated tissue, respectively. This article discloses the effect of electrical stimulation on blood flow, and not uses of such effect.
Accordingly, it is still desired to improve transfer of heat to or from a body (that is, transfer heat or cold from a source of such heat or cold to the body), for purposes of treatment of the body (e.g., to alleviate hyperthermia or hypothermia), or to increase transfer of heat from the body so as to increase burning of calories for causing increased loss of fat and weight loss.